Fastening for bags, instrument-cases, &amp;c.



PATENTED JULY 25, 1905. J. HAMMESFAHR.

INVENTOR:

2 2 KING. n J/ 5 is U FASTENING FOR BAGS, INSTRUMENT GASES, 8w. APPLICATION FILED NOV 12, 1903.

WITNESSES UNIT El) STATES ATENT ()FFICE.

FASTENING FOR BAGS, INSTRUMENT-CASES, 81.0.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented July 25, 1905.

Application filed November 12,1903. Serial No. 180,803.

To all whom, it mar/y concern:

Beit known that I, JULIUs HAMMnsFAHR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vailsburg, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented and produced a new and original Improvement in Fastenings for Bags, Instrument-Cases, &c. and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The objects of this invention are to secure a combined lock and catch for instrumentcases, bags, satchels, and thelike; to secure a maximum simplicity of construction andto avoid liability of getting out of order; to secure a neat and pleasing appearance, and to obtain other advantages and results, some of which may be hereinafter referred to in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved fastening for instrument-cases, bags, satchels, and the like and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all sub stantially as will be hereinafter set forth and finally embraced in the clauses of the claims.

Referring to the acco'm 'ianying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures, Figure 1 is a plan of my improved fastening. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the same as on line 1:, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a reverse plan of the upper portion of the casing and its contained parts. Fig. 4 is a dctail side view of a certain bed or attachingplate of the fastening. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the locking-bolt removed from the casing, and Fig. 6 is a central vertical longitudinal section looking in the opposite direction from Fig. 2 and showing the parts in unlocked position. Fig. 7 is a cross-section of a certain locking-lever and the adjacent pon tion of the base-plate.

In said drawings, 1 indicates an attachingplate having at its opposite ends tongue 2 2, by means of which it may be secured to the frame of an instrument-case, bag, or satchel, as is common and well known in the art. On the top of said plate is mounted a casing 8, preferably stamped out of sheet metal and forming when secured to the base-plate l. by means of lugs 1 and 5 5, a closed chamber 6.

\Vithin said chamber 6 is arranged a lockingbolt 7, comprising a piece of sheet metal of a width adapted to slide within the chamber 6, with one of its ends projecting longitudinally or in the direction of the longer axis of said bolt out through a recess or aperture at one end of the casing, as shown in Figs. 2 and 1. The longitudinal extension 8 of the bolt is at its extremity outside of the casing adapted to provide a bearing 14 for the finger, so that the operator, with the thumb pressing on said bearing and a finger pressing on the opposite end of the raised casing or, and preferably, upon a special finger-bearing 15, fixed to the plate 1, can force the sliding bolt inward, when forcing the thumb and finger toward one another against the interior spring 10. The end of the bolt longitudinally opposite the finger extension 8 is reduced, as at 9, to receive the spiral spring 10, and said spring serves to normally throw said bolt outward to the position of Figs. 1 and 2. The projecting .end of the locking-bolt lies fiat upon the baseplate 1 and projects through a slot 12 in the end wall of the casing. Said finger extension 8 is preferably reduced or recessed at its edge, as at 13, where it lies within said slot 12, so as to limit movement of the locking-plate, as will be understood. The outer end of the lockingbolt has a turned-up finger-piece 14, forming a handle for manipulating the catch, and at the opposite end of the upper portion 3 of the casing a false handle or finger-piece 15 is fixed upon the base-plate 1 in order to confuse any unauthorized persons who might tamper with the catch.

In one side wall of the locking-bolt 7 are gaps or recesses 16 16, which when the locking-bolt is pushed in come into coincidence with apertures 17 17 in the side of the lockcatch and which are adapted to receive in any usual manner the hooked projection of a locking-hasp pivoted to the other bag-section. The inner end walls of the said gaps or recesses 16 lie, however, under such conditions only even with the end walls of the apertures 17, so that when the locking-hasp is not in the very act of entering the spiral spring 10 will force the locking-bolt outward and cause the said rear edges or Walls 18 of the gaps or recesses 16 to project partially across the apertures 17 in the side of the casing 3, and thus enter the recesses of the hasp to engage the same, as is common.

As thus far described my device forms simply a catch designed to normally hold a bag or case closed, unless the linger-piece 1a is pushed inward and held until the bag members are separated. it is my purpose, however, to enable the catch to be employed as a positive lock, and to this end i have provided upon the floor of the base-plate 1 a lever 19, arranged longitudinally of said plate and pivoted thereto at one end, the opposite end preferably lying adjacent to the middle of the catch in plan. At said middle the casing 3 is provided with a l eyway formed by perforations 2O 21 in the top and bottom of the lock-chamber and a rotary key-post 22 extending between. The key when inserted in said keyway is adapted to engage at its hit the said free end of the locking-lever and swing the same from side to side, it being understood that at one end limit of its motion said lever is free from the locking-bolt, while at the other limit it engages a stop or shoulder 23 on the locking-bolt to hold the same in outward or locked position. To prevent said lever 19 from shifting inadvertently or independently of the key, the same is provided at its under surface with a projection 2 L, adapted to be forced over a similar projection 25 upon the base-plate. These projections are beveled at their sides or are V- shaped in cross-section and are preferably formed by stamping or pressing outfrom the parts carrying them, all as shown at 26 and 27 in Fig. '7. in use if it is desired to locl: the bag shut the key is inserted and the locking-lever l9 thrown over to engage the shoulder 23 of the locking-bolt and prevent its sliding even though the linger-piece 12 be pushed. As soon as the lever 19 is released by means of the key the locking-bolt is "free to slide at the will of the operator until the key is again used to lock the bag.

Obviously various modifications in the dctail construction of my invention might be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention such, for example, as substituting other limiting or stop means 'for those shown in connection with the lockingbolt-and1donot, therefore, wish to be understood as limiting myself herein except as the state of the art may require.

Having thus described the invention, what 1 claim as new is 1. In a catch for bags, cases, &c., the combination of a base-plate and a sheet-metal casing mounted thereon, said casinghaving a top substantially parallel to the base-plate and side walls engaging said base-plate at their edges and being provided with attaching-lugs, a lockingbolt also of sheet metal and litting within said casing with a closed top and edges bent downwardly to engage the base-plate, said locking-bolt having in one side an opening to receive the tongue of a cooperating loci; member and having at one end a finger extension which may be operated from outside the easing, and a spring at the other end of said locking-bolt, between said bolt and the casing, adapted to normally hold the bolt in locking position.

2. In a catch for bags, cases, &c., the combination of a base-plate and a sheet-metal casing mounted thereon, said casing having a top substantially parallel to the base-plate and side walls engaging said base-plate at their edges and being provided with attaching-lugs, a locking-bolt also of sheet metal and fitting within said casing with a closed top and edges bent downwardly to engage the base-plate, said locking-bolt having in one side an opening to receive the tongue of a cooperating locking member and having at one end its top bent downward to lie in the plane of the said edges against the base-plate and extended to be operated from the outside casing, and a spring at the other end of said locking-bolt, between said bolt and the casing, adapted to normally hold the bolt in locking position.

3. In a catch for bags, cases, &c., the combination of a base-plate and a sheetmetal casing mounted thereon, said casing having a top substantially parallel to the base-plate and side walls. engaging said base-plate at their edges and being provided with attaching-lugs, a locking-bolt also of sheet metal and fitting within said casing with a closed top and edges bent downwardly to engage the base-plate, said locking-bolt having in one side an opening to receive the tongue of a cooperating lock member and having at one end a finger extension which projects from the casing, said linger extension having shoulders at either end of that portion of itself which passes through the wall of the casing whereby its movement in either direction is limited, and a spring at the other end of said locking-bolt, between said bolt and the casing, adapted to normally hold the bolt in locking position.

4:. 1n a'catch, the combination of a casing, a reciprocating catch-bolt in said casing, a locking-lever pivoted upon the inner wall of the casing having a free end adapted to be swung in to engagement with the catch-bolt to prevent its reciprocation, said lever and wall of the casing having portions at their adjacent faces pressed toward each other each out of the normal plane of its part and forming projections adapted to engage each other as the lockinglever swings, and key means for swinging said lever.

ln testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of October, 1903.

JULIUS HAM A IESFAHR.

W'itnesses:

CHARLES H. .PnLL, RUSSELL M. EVERETT. 

